Tales Of Hearts | Liskook

Chapter 17

Jungkook then hoisted Lisa from the ground, making her exclaim in surprise.

“Ju-jungkook!”

“Stay still. I know you are exhausted.”

“P-put me down! I can walk!”

Jungkook stubbornly carried her up the stairs, pretending not to hear a word of what she said. Upon reaching the top, a large hall covered with reddish-brown carpets greeted them. The path leads to a large oak door. Jungkook walked across the hall and suddenly stopped in front of the wooden doors. He gently put her down, steadying her with one hand, and pushed the massive entrance open with the other.

“I hope this room is more to your taste…” he quietly said.

Lisa looked around the room curiously, walking over the spacious bed in the center. It was a neat and cozy square. In the middle of the room was a wooden column holding up the ceiling, ancient-looking glyphs inscribed on it. Large, arched windows framed one side of the room, and on the opposite side, a fireplace burned brightly with a warm fire.

Running her hands along the veil hanging off the side of the bed, she discovered that the luxurious bed frame was made of cherrywood. Thick layers of wool blankets were carefully piled on top. The servants must have paid particular attention to this room.

“You think it’s shabby, don’t you?” Jungkook asked with a worried look on his face. Lisa looked at him, bewildered and self-conscious.

He grabbed her hand and groaned, “Curse it! And the servants tried so hard…”

“What? Oh, no! W-what a beautiful room. This ca-astle is wonderful…and the bed is beautifully prepared.”

“You don’t have to lie to me. Did you forget that I recently visited the Croix caste? Compared to your father’s fortress, this is more like a fucking barn.”

Lisa felt horror. “No! That’s not true…”

Lisa tried to find the right words to appease him, but Jungkook’s facial expression remained twisted. Perhaps he thought she was only speaking empty words to satisfy him in this situation. She blamed herself again; not once could she say the right thing. When she hesitated, unable to find the proper words, Jungkook shook his head and looked equally embarrassed.

“Well… it’s the madam’s job to adorn this place, anyway. When the lord is away, it becomes the job of the lady of the house to manage the castle.”

“I…I apologize.”

“Curse it! What I want to say is… what if we design this place your way? I have enough gold, so you can buy whatever you like. You can even demand craftsmen for ornaments of your fancy. If you want to buy expensive textiles and silver, that’s fine too. I will pay for all the expenses… for the things you want.”

Lisa was surprised by his bold suggestion. She was ignorant of what to expect and what she should do as his wife.

Jungkook continued to speak in a slightly excited tone. “Women like to beautify things, right? You can hire seamstresses and craftsmen to aid you that it won’t be too much of a chore.”

Lisa saw the enthusiasm on his face and felt cold sweat run down her back. Her grandmother had tried to teach her what a noblewoman should do and how she should manage her husband’s domain, but Lisa hadn’t paid attention because she never thought she would have the chance to use the advice. Theoretically, books told her what needs to be done, but there was never a moment to put it into practice… until now.

Lisa wasn’t entirely confident that she would be able to do it.

“You don’t want to?”

When Lisa didn’t answer him, Jungkook squinted his eyes. She shook her head, nervously. Not only did she fear to utter the words she loathed decorating… but even worse was that he would discover she was ill-informed on such matters, and how she was not suited for a lady’s job.